Help with William Turner/Tippins?

[MercianSte]

I am trying to find what happened to William Turner who was the (supposed) son of my 4th Great Grandmother Martha Turner (nee Tippins). The only details I have for him are from the 1841 and 1851 Census, I have been unable to find a baptism for him despite visiting Hereford Record Office a couple of years ago and searching the parish records.


The 1851 Census gives him as being born circa 1839 at Staunton (upon Arrow), Herefordshire and the son of John Turner and Martha Tippins (John and Martha were married in 1829).


William Turner then disappears and I can find no trace of him or John Turner after this date. I know (from the 61 census) that John has died, and William could have also have passed away but....


The 1861 Census for Martha also shows a William Tippings, Nephew, living at the same address. He was born circa 1839 at Kington (just down the road from Staunton) and I presume that Mary Tippings (down as Niece) is his wife.


I cannot work out where this William fits into the tree, none of Martha's brothers seem to have a William born around 1839 and the annoying thing is I cannot locate him on either of the earlier census. Now I am wondering if perhaps William is a relative somewhere (perhaps Martha's great nephew) who was brought up as John & Martha's son and was recorded as such on the 1841/51 census, but once he was grown up went back to using his birth name - but how do I prove it?

[CaroleW]

Both Kington & Staunton on Arrow came under Presteigne RD from 1838

William Tippins December qtr 1838  Presteigne   26  219

Did Martha have any sisters?  Could he be the illegitimate son of one of them?

[MercianSte]

Thanks for your message.


I actually have a copy of that particular birth certificate, I think it is for Martha's grandson John William Tippins (who was living with the family on the 51 census). All details match apart from his name (missing John) and his mothers maiden name (Lloyd instead of Pinches) but as I can't find a marriage between a William Tippins and Ann Lloyd, and the birth was a couple of weeks before John's baptism, the abode was the same as baptism (Stanton Common which I don't think was very big) and his father's occupation is correct (Shoemaker - The rest of the Tippins' were Labourers) I don't think it is a coincidence.


Martha did not have any sisters that I know off. Her siblings were William (b. c1781), John (b. c1783), Thomas (b. c1786) and Jonathan (b. c1792).


The more I think about it the more unlikely I find William Turner being John and Martha's son, if he was born in 1838 then Martha would have been 49 years old, not impossible but given the lack of children earlier in their marriage I think unlikely and the more I am leaning to Martha 'adopting' one of her nephews.


I did have a look in the GRO marriage index's last night but could not find a marriage between William Tippins/Turner and a Mary.